Patients that suffer from a gait disorder, e.g. patients being partially or completely immobile due to a hemiparetic condition caused by a stroke or traumatic brain injury, which has resulted in damage of an area of their brain, have a significant better chance of rehabilitation if intensive gait training is initiated within 3 months after the stroke. In this early period, the brain is especially suited to regenerate/relearn the ability to control the muscles, if the sufficient sensory, learning input is provided, i.e. by completing functionally adequate gait training. However, such gait training is often impossible for the patient without help, if the brain area controlling the leg muscles is completely damaged and thus unable to generate appropriate motor control nerve signals in the normal way to make the patient walk.
The necessary electrical nerve signals to the leg muscles causing the patient to walk can be synthesized by means of a computer or processor that generates synthesized electric signals to each group of muscles in the leg(s) in the right sequence via a large number of implanted electrodes or cutaneously mounted electrodes. Such systems are used for patients suffering from injuries in the spinal cord, i.e. patients with a permanent interruption of nerve signals between the brain and the legs. A less complex example of such synthesized gait aid is an electronic device that helps patients suffering from the drop foot syndrome.
However, for patients suffering from a stroke, the gait impairment is often of a permanent character even though many patients manage to walk by learning compensatory movements to move the paretic limb forward. In particular lifting the leg by flexing the hip in the swing phase is difficult. To relearn the gait function intense physiotherapy in the sub-acute phase is critical. Electrical stimulation to support production of the swing phase is suggested, which will allows extended daily physiotherapy and more functional walking capability. For daily therapy for in-patients stimulation of multiple muscles via several electrodes, as used in existing devices or systems, are far too time consuming to mount and take off in relation to daily physiotherapy. Moreover, direct stimulation of hip flexor muscles are difficult due to the deep location of these muscles.